Yeah, I was very surprised at the differences when I read it. But it just would not be the same without Gene Wilder in the movie.

So, that book club... they keep going with YA stuff and it has proven very hit and miss... but here is what we have so far:

The Bear and the Nightengale - Already mentioned, but actually a pretty good story and interesting enough that I want to read the rest of the series to see how they finish it. Also, I enjoy Russian folklore and the author actually did research. I like authors that do research.

Six of Crows - Fantasy heist story set in a world where there is magic, but the people that channel it have a stigma of sorts attached to them. It was interesting overall and had some nice steampunk elements, but could definitely have been better. I do want to get the second book but mostly because of it ending on a cliffhanger.

Stalking Jack the Ripper - Oh dear gods. Okay... so this is one of the books that James Patterson slapped his name on for a YA line (Jimmy Patterson) to get it to sell. The characters are poorly written, red herrings are EVERYWHERE, the author did a half-assed job of researching the period... it was just bad.

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of OrĂ¯sha) - This was a book that I suggested that got passed over for the Ripper book. It is set in a fantasy world based strongly in West African mythology and deals with the concepts of racism and prejudice in a magical setting. Magi are basically extinct, and their children who never came into their powers are second class citizens. The protaganist is on a quest to bring the Magi powers back. It was very well written, and I enjoyed it deeply. Honestly, I recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.

Currently working through Fire and Fury because I just had to read about the trainwreck... it is a hard read. I am reading it out loud for Kaleb's benefit, so we have to take a break after a few chapters and just go, "Wow... just... wow."

Also read The Bear and the Nightengale by Katherine Arden for the book club I got roped into. It was a very interesting and fast read based around Russian folk tales. It is also the first book in a trilogy, and I admit that I kind of want to get the other two books now... I hesitate only because of the move and the fact that the kindle version is more expensive than the paperback.

Side rant... seriously, how can publishers justify the e-book edition costing the same or more than the physical copy? There is no material cost! No paper, no shipping! It is ridiculous! I am not saying it should be free or, like, $1... but 1/2 to 3/4 price would be a far more reasonable amount.

Been reading the "Valerian and Laureline" series translated from its original French. It's what Luc Besson's new-ish movie, "Valerian," is based on. I'd actually been reading them before I discovered they'd made a movie, but they've actually been fairly daunting to get through, even though they're considerably short.

I mean, the illustrations are pretty great, but the stories are just not that absorbing for me.

Still, this series was coming out in the late '60s and early '70s. You can see A LOT of influence on "Star Wars" in the visuals.

Originally posted by RogueI've been trying to get through the memoir "Orange Is The New Black." It's just so friggin' boring listening to this woman go on about how much people liked her for being pretty and smart and nice and blond with blue eyes. I'm pretty sure she embellished the shit out of it.

I finally fucking finished the motherfucker. Yeah, it was not worth all that time.

I've been trying to get through the memoir "Orange Is The New Black." It's just so friggin' boring listening to this woman go on about how much people liked her for being pretty and smart and nice and blond with blue eyes. I'm pretty sure she embellished the shit out of it.

I've been reading It, by Stephen King. Pretty great so far, a little slow moving, and a little creepy, but it hasn't gotten to be nearly the terrifyingly horribly story I've always heard people describe it as.

Originally posted by RogueI really should read it. I read "Animal Farm" in middle school, just for fun, and my copy ended up going around my group of friends and never came back. It ended up pretty tattered and a couple of them thought it was their duty to crack the binding and told me I kept my books too nice.

Read Neil Gaiman's super-short graphic novel, "The Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" yesterday while sitting with the clients in the morning.

I saw, and contemplated, buying a hardcover combined edition of 1984 and Animal Farm. Perhaps that would be something you would be interested in? It was like $18 on Amazon.

I really should read it. I read "Animal Farm" in middle school, just for fun, and my copy ended up going around my group of friends and never came back. It ended up pretty tattered and a couple of them thought it was their duty to crack the binding and told me I kept my books too nice.

Read Neil Gaiman's super-short graphic novel, "The Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" yesterday while sitting with the clients in the morning.

Reading 1984 because I figured that it was about time that I did. You know, I don't know what is creepier, reading it beforehand and seeing the parallels, or seeing the parallels and then reading about it, knowing that this book was written years and years ago.

Reading "Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good" by Chuck Collins. He's a great-grandson of Oscar Mayer and gave away his fortune so that he could make his own way.

I'm about a third of the way through it, and I recommend it. It's less memoir than putting a lot of the economic issues we have in perspective. He argues for the super wealthy to put their money back into the system and pay their fair share of taxes, among other things.

Finally got a decent copy of The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid so I am reading through those. Penguin Classic Deluxe edition... I am a bit sad that they are paperback, but they are nice copies despite that.